It is time for motorists in the city to polish up their driving skills and follow road safety rules, as the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) has decided to upgrade the existing traffic signals, with intelligent video surveillance systems at 54 junctions.
BOT modeVMC had invited Expression of Interest (EoI) from bidders, and the last date for submission of applications was February 24. The project will be taken up under the Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) mode.
The project will have to be completed in nine months from the date of issuing work orders.
“But, with the Election Code of Conduct in place, identification of the firm or agency will have to be delayed.
“Once the elections are over, this project will be our top priority,” says a senior VMC official.
“This will be a win-win situation for VMC, as the firm will be installing and maintaining traffic signals before transferring them to VMC after the contract period. VMC does not have to invest money,” the official adds.
The move comes following requests from the Vijayawada Police to VMC seeking installation of modern traffic signals to curb rising road accidents and regulate traffic flow.
Presently, there are over 30 traffic signals in the city, and they will be upgraded. This apart, the authorities have identified junctions for installation of modern signals. Majority of the current traffic signals have become defunct.
Solar powered signalsThese modern signals will be powered by solar energy and will be equipped with features including LED monitors, countdown timers, surveillance cameras, blinkers and e-challan system.
Control roomA special control room will be set up at the Police Commissioner’s Office with 40 LED monitors to screen video footage. Bidders will have to provide staff to monitor the system round-the-clock and fix technical snags, if any.
They will also aid police in nabbing road safety violators using the video footage.
